Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 27th March 2022

 Poor Woodstock!

We've had another enjoyable week weatherwise - Autumn is such a wonderful time in Daylesford - it still gets hot, but not too hot & most nights the temperature is good for sleeping - everywhere looks bright & beautiful & our garden is full of roses again. 

Wes had a successful visit with Leanne, taking her some things she needed, as well as helping out with some chores & bringing home a cake she had baked for us. I had a quiet Sunday, watching footy games & taking things easily with the boys at my feet. 

On Monday, after shopping, we sat down to watch a recent interview with Ian Rankin at the 2020 Edinburgh Book Festival - this was School, and we learnt so much about Ian himself, about his character, Rebus, and about how he found COVID times great for writing. He was interviewed well by Ruth Wishart, who was very familiar with his work & had prepared herself well with her questions. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpgCghMVnyw if you want to see it).

Stunning roses - Pumpkin Patch, Little Red Riding Hood, Hot Cocoa, Big Purple & Freesia

I was pleased to be able to get back to my Zoom chats - twice with Leanne, a great catch-up with Terry Borg, and a very noisy gathering of Old Friends - so much to say in a short time! I was also able to keep an appointment for a manicure, which was well overdue, and a haircut, ditto. 

However, Wes was quite unwell for a couple of days with fever, shivering, high temperatures & absolutely no energy. We did RAT tests to eliminate COVID, and the telephone consultation with Dr Fred Jayawardene (a wonderful Sri Lankan surname, but he had an Irish accent) suggested that Wes had caught a nasty bug that was going around. We were both impressed with the help we got from Springs Medical Centre - I rang to speak with a nurse, gave my name to the receptionist & by the time I was connected to the nurse she knew I was 'Warren's wife'. She had plenty of practical advice & set up the phone appointment within an hour. Wes is still not 100%, but much better than he was. 

Wes & Morse enjoying a quiet time together 💙🤍

We were both grateful for all the sport that was on TV to keep us entertained. The Blues had a second win, this time against last year's runners-up, the Western Bulldogs; Australia made a sporting declaration in the 3rd Test in Pakistan & bowled well to win the match; the Australian women were challenged by Bangladesh at The Basin in Wellington, but steadied once Beth Mooney came in to bat, and Collingwood beat a young Adelaide side to make their way into the top 4 at the MCG. 

I ended up having a day in bed yesterday and will be pleased when I catch up with Dr Ellie this week to get the results of my blood tests & find out what can be done to improve my energy levels. 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 20th March 2022

 

What a wonderful ChillOut we enjoyed last weekend. The weather was perfect, the crowd was huge & everyone seemed so happy. We both loved the Parade on Sunday, with the highlight for me being Molly Meldrum, who was there with his good friend & local resident, Sandy Breen, who persuaded him that it would be fun. We took advantage of the seats that were offered outside the Town Hall, as I find it hard to stand still for long periods these days & was nervous of being in the crowd. We wore our masks, of course, but most people didn't. We would have loved to have taken Lewis & Morse, as we used to take Bilbo & Frodo, but Morse would have been scared of everything - the Dykes on Bikes especially, and all the other dogs. 

Thanks to Jane Barrett for these photos - don't know the bloke in the top shot, but Max Primmer is in the middle & Molly in the last photo with Sandy just visible on his right

We decided to see what Steve Dotto from Dottotech had to say about Google PhotoScan for School on Monday (no holiday for us) and he gave us a little more information as well as telling us that he thought it was the best way to scan bar none. We then looked at how to transfer scanned photos from our phone, which we uploaded to Google Drive, where we could name them & add some details before putting them into our Google Photo Albums.  As a bonus, when we chatted with Mike & Linda Kirby about an hour later, we were able to pass on this knowledge, as they were thinking about scanning old photos & weren't sure where to start. 

Over the weekend the hose on our kitchen tap developed a leak, so we closed off the water, and did our washing up in the laundry, taking care not to use any more dishes & utensils than we absolutely needed to. We were lucky that Gary Wilkinson could come on Tuesday at lunchtime to repair the damage. It was a busy morning - early Messenger chat with Jeff & her daughter, Leigh, in Torksey Lock, followed by a Zoom with Leanne, and then a trip to Springs Medical Centre pathology for blood tests.  

On Wednesday, after walking the boys & doing deliveries of newspapers to Ken at Spring Park Nursery & jars & Epicures to Nick in Porcupine Ridge & pumping mineral water at Leitches Creek, I met up with Judi at Muffins & More for tea & toasties before we played Mah Jong with Dot. It was busy in the café, especially because of the welcome rain, and a group was ready to pounce on our table the minute we finished. 

This handsome kookaburra was sitting on our decking when I noticed him - I was able to feed him a couple of small pieces of rump steak & suspect he will be back for more

Meanwhile Wes had driven to Melbourne to collect old friend, John Hardwick & take them both to Carlton for a catch-up lunch with about ten other old schoolmates. He really enjoyed his time with everyone and dropped by Ben & Leanne's place in Brunswick East on his way home with gifts for their kids, Jack & Olivia. He arrived back home after 5pm & was very pleased to find I had made fresh tomato sauce, (thanks to Judi & Michael for their tomatoes), which we enjoyed over steamed rice, while watching Day 5 of the second Test in Pakistan & the opening game of the AFLM season between Melbourne & the Western Bulldogs. The Doggies tried hard, but Melbourne were just too good, as they were in the Grand Final last year. 

On Thursday, after a lovely Zoom with Kathy & Lib, I headed to Bad Habits Café @The Convent, for brunch with Glenda, Janine & Rhonda. We hadn't seen each other properly for ages & enjoyed chatting & sharing news over yummy sweetcorn fritters.

By the time I got back home, I was starting to feel quite exhausted, and after Wes left to take Bob White to lunch at the Pig & Whistle Hotel in East Trentham, I went to bed & stayed there until yesterday morning. 

Both our teams won, quite unexpectedly, especially Carlton, who haven't been able to beat Richmond in the opening round for about 10 years. And they did it well, which elicited spontaneous applause from Wes in the lounge watching. On Friday night, Collingwood fought off a very determined St Kilda to pinch a win at the Docklands, not a happy hunting ground for us. Shane Warne's son, Jackson, had been invited to toss the coin, and Shane's family were all there in the box he had organised before his sudden death. Even Michael Vaughan, who hated it when Shane talked about the footy & his beloved Saints, was at the ground to be part of it all. 

There was a lot of sport to occupy me while I took it easy yesterday & Wes when he needed a break - in Auckland the Australian women cricketers made history by successfully chasing down India's one-day score of 277; Geelong & Essendon played a one-sided game that the Cats won easily; in AFLW, Freo were too good for North at Arden Street; and at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney, GWS & the Swans played a close, entertaining game which the Swans won, even though Buddy Franklin missed out on kicking his 1,000th goal. 

Daylesford ChillOut Dispatch - Sunday, 13th March 2022

 

Very true as far as we are concerned!

We had planned to start our week with a film on Sunday, but neither of us felt like it as we struggled to come to terms with Shane Warne's death. Instead, we had a quiet day at home watching AFLW, where the Pies went down in a great game against Adelaide by 2 points, and Carlton were too good for the Gold Coast winning easily. We then watched Day 3 of the Test in Pakistan & were so sorry to see Usman Khawaja go out for 97 with a silly shot, just as he was looking set to make a century.

On Monday, after shopping, I took School, as Wes had asked me to show him what I did with photos I took on my phone. I showed him how easy it is to transfer them using Your Phone Companion on your computer and we followed the process through. We then investigated Google Photo Scan, which is a wonderful tool to scan photos that are loose, old, in frames, damaged, or have glare or other faults.

The next day was extremely windy & we both decided to stay indoors where possible. A couple of my Zoom chats were cancelled, and our CD had given up the ghost, so I went to Bi-Rite & bought a lovely little Yamaha Micro-CD unit for the bedroom from Tim. When I brought it home, we chatted about re-organising our bedroom & spent the next two hours doing just that. We swapped the TV stand for a solid piece of wooden furniture, somehow managed to transfer Foxtel & the DVD/VHS player without putting any wires or cords into the wrong slots & ended up with a happy solution. Our TV is now much higher & easier to watch from bed, the other units are easier to access & the CD/Radio unit is much less intrusive & sits on a stand that easily holds CDs. 

Thanks to the Stevensons for this stand which they gave us some years ago & it's still going strong!

It was equally windy on Wednesday & the fallen tree at the bottom of our little bit of Duke Street was still there blocking access for anything much larger than Sammy. I didn't walk with the boys as I was too asthmatic, but was able to go to Mah Jong & caught up with Dot & Judi over a few friendly games, with Judi the major winner. As our cleaner, Sandra, is still unable to work, Wes vacuumed & washed all the floors while I was away, much to the chagrin of Lewis & Morse, who had to sit outside while he did it (and probably didn't get apples when he finished as they do when before Sandra leaves). 

After our Zoom chats on Thursday, Wes headed into the garden to prune some more buddleia and I went to Springs Medical Centre to meet a new doctor, Ellie O'Connor, in the hope she & I would hit it off. Well, we did, and I was most impressed with her - not just a confident, helpful female, but left-handed as well. I'm off to have a raft of blood tests next week to see if they hold the key to my current lack of energy, and will see her again a fortnight later for the results. 

On Friday, we had a fascinating experience as we walked the boys around Lake Daylesford. We could see what looked like a searchlight in the sky & decided it must have been coming from Victoria Park recreation oval, so drove there to check it out. All we could see were fairy lights & suspected that the ChillOut organisers were up early getting everything ready for today's spectacular party. Frank Page took this photo of the beacon.

Later that morning, we put Lewis & Morse in the back of Sammy & drove to Spargo Creek area, where Wes had been fishing recently, for a family picnic. We took the boys for a walk to the water's edge to let them paddle, before giving them apples & settling down to Turkish rolls with egg & lettuce & a thermos of Jasmine tea. After our lunch, we went for a walk to see the spot where Wes had been fishing & eight black swans appeared on cue. 

Lovely picnic spot in Bolwarrah with the water in the background

Yesterday morning we had brunch at Bad Habits Café at The Convent with Fiona Groundwater, daughter of our late friend, Annie Smith, who is over from Fremantle for a couple of weeks. It was so good to see her again & catch up on each other's news. She had been to the Sunflower Farm at Dunnstown & presented us with a gorgeous specimen which we have put at our front door. 

Fiona & Karen with the sunflower taking up a seat of its own

In the afternoon, the Pies were too good for Richmond & cemented a spot in the Finals, while Carlton's AFLW side went down to Melbourne by a point in an exciting match. As well, Usman Khawaja made a century in the Second Test in Pakistan, after batting well with David Warner & then Steve Smith. It looks as though it is another batters' pitch & the game may well be a draw like the First Test, unless our bowlers can produce some magic when the Pakistan team is batting. 

After the Sunday Market, we'll walk up to Vincent Street to watch the ChillOut parade, which should be a beauty celebrating the 25th year of ChillOut, which is recognised as a culturally important and nationally celebrated LGBTIQ pride event, supporting and representing Queer pride for all regional people. We are so proud that Daylesford hosts this great event, which started the year before we moved here. 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 6th March 2022

 
I'm sure Lewis & Morse would approve as well 🤣🤣

We started our week with an extra busy Sunday - off to the Market, back home to quickly wash & put away what we had bought, then pack the car & take Lewis & Morse to try out Hilltop Kennels in Guildford, about 30 minutes away from us. We were due there at 9am, so everything was timed to the minute. The boys were excited to see lots of other dogs & we left hoping that they would get some much overdue socialising. 

We then drove, via Castlemaine, to Strathmore to see Leanne, who we are trying to visit every three weeks on a Sunday. We had a great chat, then Wes updated her laptop & watered the garden, while she & I did some household chores & sorted out a few other issues. We arrived back here in time to see the Pies AFLW post their highest ever score (against the Doggies, who were tired after playing three games in 11 days). Later the Blues had a good win against the Giants and Darcy Vescio became the first AFLW player to score 50 goals. 

Beautiful work by our neighbour, Glen, for her youngest grandchildren

You can see why Lewis, above, is hiding from Morse, who is doing his contortionist thing & taking up all the bed

On Monday, there was no time for School, as Sam, the arborist, arrived at 8.30am to cut down two pencil pines between our place & Glen's, and a tree of unknown heritage on the back fence. Sam cut up the pine into manageable logs for our fire & stacked them near the steps, which was much appreciated. 

While Sam was sawing away, I had a few jobs to do in Vincent Street, before having a pedicure with a female Sam at EKO. Wes spent hours in the garden and planted a couple of old-fashioned geums (aka Avens) which I had bought at the Farmers Market because I loved their name - Banana Dacquiri.

That afternoon, while Wes looked after the air-conditioning repair man, I did the first coat of yellow paint on the doors in the laundry AKA the dogs' bedroom. We are pleased with the effect & think it really brightens up this room. While Wes was chatting to Max, he discovered that he lived in the same town, Newbury, as Sam the arborist. It turns out that they are brothers - small world!

Tuesday was a big Zoom morning starting with my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire. Wes joined me in chatting to her & we had a very funny time talking about redundant items that were once so important in our lives. She still has an even more elderly Melways than we did, as well as a Perth street directory that probably dates back to the 70s. My next catch up was with Leanne, who had been visited by her GP & she wanted to update me on her latest medication & life advice. 

Finally, Wes & I had a long chat with Jan Pengilley in Maleny, to hear how she & her daughter, Tara, have been coping with the deluge. She told of getting 300mls of rain one night, which is beyond our imagination. We were thrilled to have 37mls over 48 hours, which filled our tanks! Jan, Tara & Diederik are all OK, but their gardens have suffered because they have the equivalent of the Elizabeth Falls coming down through their land. We finished our catch up with a discussion of Carol Ann Duffy's poetry, which she had loved when she followed the link in my Dispatch some weeks ago. 

Later, we took advantage of no Labradors & Wes shifted the firewood under the house so it can dry, while I did the second coat of paintwork & we think that will do, even though we were nervous of Lewis's reaction on his return! When the boys arrived back on Wednesday morning, they were so delighted to be here that it took some time before they explored the changes in the backyard & indoors. 

You can glimpse the newly-painted yellow door to the left of Lewis as he & Morse reacquainted themselves with their bedroom

Here is Wes, the fisherman, about to take Sammy out on a trip

And here is the fishing spot Spargo's Creek - looks very serene

Wes was delighted to catch up with old friend, David Redfearn, over breakfast at Cliffy's on Thursday morning, while I was having a most enjoyable Zoom with Kathy, Lovely & Lib, chatting about all manner of things & thrilled to be able to do so. 

Judi & Michael very generously gave us over a kilo of their tomatoes on Friday morning, which I promptly turned into pasta sauce with the addition of all our ripe tomatoes (not a lot). Wes pruned out the front while I was cooking & the boys stayed out of the way, resting for a change. 

We were shocked to wake yesterday to the news that Shane Warne had died, aged 52. His cricketing exploits are well-known, and he was seen as a larrikin, but we have always been impressed by his willingness to impart his knowledge of spin bowling & cricket tactics whenever he could. During the recent Ashes Tests, whenever he was commentating on TV, he would take time to show kids how to hold a cricket ball in order to bowl varieties of spin. His kindness to one of his big fans, our cousin Leigh, was shown when he was asked for an autographed photo as a surprise for her at her wedding 9 years ago, and he produced this, which Leigh posted on Facebook yesterday when she heard the sad news. 

We had, of course, been sad that Rod Marsh had died earlier in the week, after also suffering a heart attack, but he was 74, which somehow made it easier to cope with. This morning it was too wet to walk the boys, so I went back to bed with The Age & have just finished reading page after page of tributes to both men, with the wonderful news that the Great Southern Stand at the MCG will be renamed the S K Warne Stand ASAP.